Will 5 bundled BD-movies help push PS3 sales?

[Crossbar]

The Blu-ray Disc (BD) Association has announced that its members will launch a sales promotion in the third quarter of the year by bundling five free BD movies with sales of either BD players or PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles, with the five movies worth US$100-150 based on current market prices, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

This is a marketing campaign to boost the BD standard in competition with HD DVD, the sources pointed out. The occasion for the sales promotion is the BD Association's celebration of the anniversary of launching BD products in the North American market, the sources indicated. Members of the association, including Sony, Pioneer, Samsung, Philips and Matsushita Electric Industrial, as well as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and six other leading movie studios in Hollywood will sponsor the marketing event, the sources noted.

http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070627PD217.html

The offer is of course designed to help promote the BD brand but could it work the other way around for the PS3?

This together with a price cut of the PS3 in the third quarter and some new good games, the PS3 might end up as a quite attractive deal in some peoples eyes.
The question is if Sony might see this as a stop gap solution that will help them through the 3rd quarter and save the price drop for the 4rth quarter? I don´t think that would be a wise move, a lot of gamers are not that keen on HD-movies and would rather have some bundled games.

 

[archangelmorph]

a lot of gamers are not that keen on movies and would rather have some bundled games.

I don't know anyone who's not keen on movies.. I'm sure alot of gamers are not keen on "buying" them (especially when they're blu-ray flicks & the individual doesn't have a HDTV) but I don't know anyone who wouldn't pass up getting one (let alone 5) for free..

Granted it may not be THE deciding factor where PS3 purchase is concerned but it will certainly help quite alot thats for sure! (& especially if spiderman 3 or some of the other big summer blockbusters manage to hit blu-ray in time for the promotion..)

& if Sony do drop a nice big fat price drop ontop aswell to sweeten the deal, they should be able to hopefully see a sales boom that should spark some good momentum in time for xmas.. (although I guess we'll have to wait and see how that pans out)

 

[borowki]

If they do the same thing with the Xbox HD-DVD drive, I think they'd be flying off the shelves.

 

[Crossbar]

I don't know anyone who's not keen on movies.. I'm sure alot of gamers are not keen on "buying" them (especially when they're blu-ray flicks & the individual doesn't have a HDTV) but I don't know anyone who wouldn't pass up getting one (let alone 5) for free..

You are right, I meant HD-movies.

 

[infinity4]

what movies will be included is another question.

 

[rabidrabbit]

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/new...n_Offers_Five_Free_Discs_Player_Promotion/725

According to the article there'll be a selection of 20 Blu-ray movies, including 'Pearl Harbor,' 'Corpse Bride,' 'Underworld Evolution,' 'Black Rain,' 'Transporter 2' and 'Devil's Rejects'.

In that list there's already a couple of better films, a couple of mediocre films and a couple of bad films.
In a selection of 20, there'll sure to be some stinkers included, but also some good films.

 

[inefficient]

Scan of the coupon is here:
http://www.uwants.com/attachments/day_070627/20070627_640bc1b6bf658f8a400dCDKlYCq8WthG.jpg

You need to include the original receipt of the player dated between July 1st to Sept 30th

 

[cthellis42]

For anyone with bad eyes, the coupon shows:

The Guardian
Pearl Harbor (which sucks just a little bit more than I miss you)
Invincible
Chicken Little

Corpse Bride
The Phantom of the Opera
Blazing Saddles

Stealth
Underworld: Evolution
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Stir of Echoes

Babel
The Italian Job
Black Rain
The Devil's Rejects

The Last Waltz
Species
Hart's War
Transporter 2
Kiss of the Dragon
The Omen


Those sections are each categories, and you choose one from each. (Though "The Omen" seems to be mislabelled on the coupon.)

The only other thing to note is that no other PS3 model is listed (just the 60GB), and the purchase range is from July thru September, so if anyone thinks a possible new SKU is coming out before then, it's not technically a part of this offer, so it'd either be coming after, or missing a good push.

Of course it's always possible they'd be gearing up for a different offering for the holidays...

 

[swanlee]

Short answer is no.

As BLU-RAY players drop in price the PS3 being used as a BLU-RAY player becomes more irrelevant.

 

[Todd33]

Short answer is no.

As BLU-RAY players drop in price the PS3 being used as a BLU-RAY player becomes more irrelevant.

Well you are assuming the PS3 does not drop along side them. currently the Ps3 is considered one of the best BD players at any price, but it is one of the cheapest.

 

[cthellis42]

Sure, but we're talking about "right now," where neither Blu-Ray nor HD-DVD sales are anything much to speak of, and the PS3 itself doesn't have a fire lit under it.

Right now the question is "is Blu-Ray popular enough to actually drive people to pick up a PS3 now--before their game and holiday surge and expected price drop is really in motion--in any real quantity?

I think it'd certainly drive some people who've been waffling over the edge, but I'm not sure "getting $100+ in BR movies you probably don't care much about" will drive the majority waiting for the holiday releases and a possible $100 price drop to pick it up now.

 

[inefficient]

Well this is a BD promotion not a PS3 promotion. Sony is just a participant. But in any case, the growing popularity of BD can only help the PS3 in the long run.

Corpse Bride is about the only movie in that list I would actually pay money for. The other ones I really would never get unless they were free give aways.

 

[cthellis42]

Sure, but that's why the topic is "will it help push PS3 sales?"

The PS3 is still one of the cheapest BR players in general, and is most certainly seen as the best value. (For the ability to keep rolling in firmware enhancements, if nothing else.)

The movies being generally shruggable, I don't think this will have much impact on those who've been mulling over taking the HD DVD dive as of yet.

For anyone who's been kicking the idea of a PS3 around, though, it could perhaps help them decide to pick one now. (There's also a $50 gift certificate promotion running at Sony Style brick and mortar stores right now, too, so combining the two ain't half bad.)

 

[22psi]

Sony should give out 2 free games and 3 movies, that would push sales much more.

 

[DJ12]

Sony should give out 2 free games and 3 movies, that would push sales much more.

It would be better to give £50 worth of downloads on PSN than 2 free games.

 

[cthellis42]

That it would, but might confuse people looking to pick up standalone BR players.

 

[AntShaw]

This is silly.

It would help push PS3 sales if you could get coupons to go get ANY BRD movie you want. Not to pick 1 each out of 5 measley categories.

If I was new to BRD, this would not drive me to get into BRD regardless if this was a stand alone player, a PS3, or a hypothetical BRD Add on for 360.

The fact that they broke it down, into categories, and have to pick one from each is just assinine. It amazes me things like this even see the light of day sometimes. Like who actually is sitting in their chair saying...

'I got it. I have an easy way we can get people to want to join the BRD push! Lets give away 5 free movies with a new PS3 purchase. But, to make it more worthwile, lets break them into categories, and make them choose.'

Persoanlly this smells like a PR stunt to pump up BRD movie attach rates in regards to PS3 sales.

 

[Sonic]

This move may help bolster PS3 sales, but it really depends on if the people buying thee machines will use the PS3 as just a BD player or if they will actually buy games for it. If it ends up the majority of people that buy the system do it only for these movies and continuing movies then it's a sad sign for the PS3 in general. Sony will continue to lose money on system sales. And without game purchases there will be nothing to soften the losses of the PS3 sales.

Then again, his could be an entirely good thing and an incentive for people to buy the system along with a few games.

 

[22psi]

I think the Sony Style stores are giving 1 free game, 1 free controller, and 2 free movies something to that affect if you buy a ps3.

 

[cthellis42]

No, the deal is that if you buy a PS3 and two games and a controller, you get a $50 gift certificate (which you can immediately apply to your purchase, I believe.)

Basically, if you were already in the market in one or just waiting for a price drop, between the deals it could kick you over. I mean, you might not care about the movies, but who can argue with free? And it's not like one WOULDN'T likely be getting at least two games and an extra controller...

Hence, no huge reason to wait if you want to have some fun now. But it's really going to impact those who are waiting for overall content (and the quality thereof) to make a decision on if they want one at ALL.